As the nation transits to a New government, the Global Environmental Facility Small Grant Programme (GEF SGP), has urged Nigerian leaders to intensify efforts to pay attention to the exploitation of the nation’s natural resources.
GEF SGP National Coordinator, Mrs Ibironke Olubamise, gave the advice in an interview with the Newsmen in Abuja.
Olubamise said that it is necessary for the leadership to look critically to the issues of environment and natural resource exploitation and change current paradigm of wasteful and unconcerned exploitation.
“Nigeria is blessed with vast natural resources. There is the varied rich natural vegetation which traverse the west and east of the nation in a beautiful artistic pattern that will make any gifted arts to find great treasure of work to produce from.
“The vegetation is distributed from the freshwater swamp forest to the mangrove forest and coastal vegetation and lowland forest in the southern part of the country to the derived savannah, guinea savannah, sudan/sahel savannah, and montane ecosystems in the north.
“Also deep in our soils are earthen treasures that can make Nigeria to be envied amongst the comity of nations,” she said.
According to her, these resources play vital and diverse roles in our economy, ecology and social lives.
“There is no aspect of live that does not require these resources in varied form and quantity. Unfortunately, these resources have been unsustainably exploited to the point that they have become a curse rather than a blessing.
“Increasing population and unsustainable exploitation of these resources have put so much pressure and the carrying capacity of the resources have been stretched beyond remedy.
“Thus, if we are to continue to aspire for greater development as a nation, there is need to pay serious attention to the manner of exploitation of these resources.
“Not only are the resources becoming scarce, the environmental degradation that results from these unsustainable practices are also causing serious havoc to live and living,” Olubamise said.
The National coordinator said that Nigeria should ensure that it continues to meet its development aspiration and that generations unborn are not deprived of their own rights to meet their development needs.
“It is to this end that it is necessary for the leadership to look critically to the issues of environment and natural resource exploitation and change our current paradigm of wasteful and unconcerned exploitation.
“We are not without solutions to these challenges. Only the political will to do something worthwhile is necessary,” she said.
Olubamise recalled that Nigeria was a signatory to many of the international treaties to address the challenges of environmental degradation, scarcity and equitable distribution of resources.
According to her, efforts must be made by the government to understand the real situation and make definite efforts to make the necessary change.
“Review of negative policies and practices, which contribute to environmental degradation and development of new ones that will work from the remote communities to urban cities is urgently necessary.
“Government needs an inclusive policy to involve all stakeholders. The culprit and the victims alike.The solution may seem daunting but not insurmountable.
“The National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan and other related documents should not be made to sit on the shelves but to be review, harmonized and put to practical use if the country is to achieve her environmental goals,” she said.
According to her, the risks associated with environment degradation, natural resource depletion and natural disasters are getting more attention and better appreciated by some groups, especially the insurance and financial institutions.
“Yet one of the most important group of stakeholders which have not been adequately incorporated into the discussions on environment and natural resources is the organized private sector.
“Efforts must be made by the government to ensure the incorporation of environmental accounting and biodiversity finance into the traditional accounting system.
“The National Planning Commission must be adequately informed in order to initiate policies that will enhance sustainable development,” the National coordinator said.
She added that the he youth needed all the information and support to develop their dexterity to address environmental issues beyond the current noise on social media without any depth of the issues at stake.
“Much effort for qualitative technical education to address environmental problems is needed and must be officially introduced into the national school curriculum.
“As a new government is sworn in, our paradigm must change from that which assumes that resources are infinite to reflect on the scarcity that has hit us and to adjust policies accordingly.
“I can imagine what happens if the entire nation starts to think reduce, reuse, recycle for every resource we exploit to meet our needs,” Olubamise said.